Combined propane torch and igniter assembly



Sept. 27, 1966 w. L. LINDGREN 6 COMBINED PROPANE TORCH AND IGNITERASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 18, 1963 I NVENTOR.

1 :5. 2 l l g'z'amli. Lz'nqgwezz 7 BY w %NEYS United States Patent ANDThis invention relates to improvements in portable torches of thepropane gas type and more particularly relates to an improved form ofcombined torch and igniter assembly.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improvedform of torch assembly having an igniter as a part thereof and arrangedwith a view toward utmost simplicity in construction and safety inoperation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a propane torch andigniter assembly of a novel and simplified construction, in which theigniter is a part of the torch and is positionable over the nozzle ofthe torch during the igniting operation and effects ignition of the gasissuing from the torch burner nozzle with the utmost safety to the user.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and improvedform of igniter for propane torches and the like, so constructed andarranged as to be a part of the torch assembly, and positionable toeffectively ignite a gas issuing from the burner nozzle and to directthe flame of the ignited gas away from the hand of the user of thetorch.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved form ofigniter for propane torch and the like in which a spark igniter is apart of the torch assembly and is manually positionablein -a mostefiective and safe position for igniting the torch.

, These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to timeas the following specification proceeds and with reference to theaccompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a view in side elevation of a torch and igniter constructedin accordance with the principles of the present invention with certainparts broken away and certain other parts shown in section; and

'FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the igniter shown in FIGURE 1.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 1 of thedrawings, I have shown a torch and igniter assembly 10, adapted to beassembled on a propane tank 11 of a size that may readily be grasped bythe hand, and forming a source of supply of fuel for the torch. Thetorch and igniter assembly generally includes a valve body 12 having anenlarged diameter internally threaded integral fitting 13 at one end forthreading on the end of the propane bottle or tank 11 and having a knob15 to one side thereof, for operating avalve (not shown) to varythesupply of fuel to a burner assembly 1 6. The valve body 12 has anorifice or fuel passage 17 having communication with a fitting 18threaded therein and threaded or otherwise secured to one end of a tube19 having the burner assembly 16 threaded on its outer end. The tube 19supplies fuel, such as propane, to the usual orifice block 20 supplyinga metered volume of fuel to the burner nozzle (not shown). The burnerassembly is encircled by a cylindri-j cal sleeve 21, forming awindshield to shield the burner flame from wind.

The tube 19 has a bifurcated bracket 22 extending therefrom at rightangles with respect thereto adjacent the burner assembly and generallyon the underside of the tube 19, when the torch is in the uprightposition shown in FIGURE 1. The bracket 22 forms a pivotal positionshown in FIGURE 1. The bracket 22 forms 3,275,060 Patented Sept. 27,1966 ice a pivotal mounting for an igniter 23 on a pivot pin 24.

The igniter 23 is in the general form of a tube 25, the wall of which iscut away at the rear end portion of said tube, forming spaced connect-orears 26 extending between the furcations of the bifurcated bracket 22and pivotally connected to said bracket as by the pivot pin 24. Atorsion spring 27 is shown as having one end hooked to the bracket 23and as being turned about the pivot pin24 and having an opposite endengaging the inner wall of the tube 25 and biasing the tube towards thevalve body 12 into the inoperative position as shown in FIGURE 1.

The tube 25 also has an outturned outer end portion recessed inwardly ofthe tube as indicated by reference character 28 to form a widened hood2'9 spaced from the end of the windshield 2'1 and extending over the endof said windshield when the igniter is in its operative ignitingposition. The hood 29 thus deflects the gas issuing from the nozzleassembly 16 to pass along said tube to a flint 30 and spark wheeel 31.The flint 30 may be guided within a housing 32 extending along thecentral portion of the'tube 25 and having communication with theinterior of said tube through a slot 33 in the wall of said tube andextending beyond opposite ends of said housing. The flint 30 may be theusual pyrophoric element comprising a material such as ferrocerium andis resiliently biased against the sparkwheel 31 by a releasable plunger35 extending along the housing 32 and slot 33 and guided in a rear wall37 of said housing. A spring .36 encircles the plunger 35 and is seatedat one end in the rear wall 37 of the housing 32, and at its oppositeend on an upright end 39 of the plunger 35. The upright end 39 in turnhas biasing engagement with the flint 30 to maintain the flint incontact with the spark wheel 31. The spark wheel 31 is mounted in anenlarged forward end portion 40 of the slot 33, adjacent the hood 29, ona pivot pin 41. The pivot pin 41 may be in the form of a rivet mountedat its ends in spaced brackets 42 extending along opposite sides of thespark wheel 31 upwardly of the opposite margins of the enlarged forwardend portion 40 of the slot 33. The pivot pin 41 and brackets 42 thusposition the spark wheel 40 to extend within the tube closely adjacentthe opening of said tube into the hood 29 into engagement with the flint30. The spark wheel 40 may be of a conventional form having a roughenedor serrated periphery engaging the flint 22, and creating a spark whenturned by hand.

When it is desired to ignite the torch and the valve 15 is turned to anon position, assuming the igniter has been moved to the broken lineposition shown in FIGURE 1, it is merely necessary to turn the sparkwheel 31 by the thumb, or one of the fingers of the hand in acounterclockwise direction to create a spark and ignite the gas issuingfrom the nozzle assembly 16, it being understood that the hood 29extending over the end of the windshield 2'1 deflects the gas into'theregion of the flint and spark wheel and that the tube itself serves todraw the gas therethrough, to be ignited upon turning of the sparkwheel.

It may thus be seen that the spark wheel and flint are placed closelyadjacent the outer end of the windshield 21 and that the hood collectsand deflects sufficient gas into the tube to be readily ignited withoutdanger to the operator of the torch and igniter. It may further beevident that once the gas issuing from the nozzle assembly is ignited,the hood will tend to deflect the flame away from the hand of theoperator until the hand is removed from the igniter assembly, at whichtime the torsion spring 27 will withdraw the igniter assembly to itsinoperative position shown in FIGURE 1.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which the inventionmay be embodied, it may readily be understood that various variationsand modifications in the invention may be attained .without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the novel conceptsthereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a spark igniter and in combination with a torch having a burnertube having a burner assembly extending from the end thereof and havingcommunication with a source of supply of gas, means for igniting the gasissuing from said burner assembly comprising an igniter tube movablymounted on said burner tube for movement toward and from the open end ofsaid burner assembly and normally biased into a position remote fromsaid burner assembly, said igniter tube having a hooded end portionextending to one side thereof over the end of said nozzle assembly andspaced therefrom and having communication with the interior of saidigniter tube, and flame initiating means mounted on said igniter tubeclosely adjacent said hood and including a spark wheel rotatably mountedon said igniter tube adjacent said hood and extending into said ignitertube, and a flint extending along said tube and biased into engagementwith said spark wheel to create a spark in the region of said hood.

2. A torch and igniter assembly adapted for mounting on a propane typetank of a size that may readily be grasped by the hand and forming asource of fuel for the torch, a bracket extending from the torch, anigniter tube pivotally mounted at one end on said bracket for movementfrom an inoperative position to an operative igniting position, springmeans biasing said ignitertube into an inoperative position, saidigniter tube having a recessed free end portion having a hood extendingthereover and having a concave gas deflecting surface forming acontinuation of the interior of said tube, said tube also having a slotextending therealong from a position closely adjacent said recessedportion and hood, to the end thereof pivoted to said bracket, an igniterwheel mounted in said slot adjacent said hood, for rotatable movementint-o the hollow interior portion of said tube, a flint munted in saidslot and biased into engagement with said igniter wheel for creating agas igniting spark upon the turning of said spark wheel by the hand.

3. A torch and igniter assembly adapted for mounting on a propane tankof a size that may readily be grasped by the hand and form a source offuel for the torch, a bracket extending from the torch, an igniter tubeopen at each end, pivotally mounted on said bracket for movement from aninoperative position to an operative igniting position, spring meansbiasing said igniter tube into an inoperative position, said ignitertube having a recessed free end portion having a hood extendingthereover'from one side thereof, said hood having a concave deflectionsurface extending from a position to one side of said tube within saidtube and generally forming a forward continuation of said tube, saidtube also having a slot extending along the wall thereof on the sidethereof opposite the torch, when said tube is man operative ignitingposition, spaced brackets extending upwardly of opposite sides of ,saidslot adjacent saidtube, an igniter wheel rotatably mounted on saidbrackets for movement into the interior of said tube, a housingextending rearw-ardly of said igniter Wheel along said slot for aportion of the length thereof, a plunger movable along said slot andhousing, a spring encircling said plunger and biasing said plungertoward said igniter wheel, and a flint slidably mounted in said housingand biased by said plunger and spring into engagement, with said igniterwheel. t

4. A torch andigniter assembly, adapted for mounting on a propane tankof a size that may readily. be grasped, by the hand and form a source offuel for the torch, a bracket extending from the torch, an igniter tubeopen at each end,.piv.otally mounted on said bracket for movement froman inoperative position to an operative igniting position at the end ofthe burner assembly for the torch, spring means biasing said ignitertube into an inoperative position, said igniter tube having a recessedfree end portion having a hood extending thereover from one side of saidtube, said hood having a concave deflection surface extending from aposition to one side of said tube within said tube and forming agenerally forward and lateral continuation of said tube extending overthe burner assembly, said tube also having a slot extending alongthewall thereof along the side thereof opposite the torch, whensaid tube isin an operative I igniting position, spaced brackets extending upwardlyof opposite sides of said slot adjacent said tube, an igniter wheelrotatably mounted on said brackets for mov ement into the interior ofsaid tube, a housing extending along said slot rearwardly of saidigniter tube and terminating forwardly of the rear end'of said slot,said housing having a rear wall extending into said tube and across saidslot, a plunger slidably guided in said rear wall and extaiding alongsaid slot and having an upturned forward end portion engaging saidflint, a spring encircling said plunger and interposed between said rearwall of said housing and said upturned end portion, said plunger alsohaving an upturned rear end portion extending through said slot andoutwardly of said tube affording a means for gripping saidvplunger bythe finger and the like to release tension on said flint.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,202,514 10/1916 Hansen. 1,466,403 8/ 1923 Knapp 15 8-33 2,826,904 3/ 1958Williamson 67-20.1 2,958,504 11/1960 Lindgren. 3,052,112 9/ 1962Wheeler, 6720.1

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, 1R Primary Examiner. J HN J. CAMBY; 1 m Examine i

1. IN A SPARK IGNITER AND IN COMBUSTION WITH A TORCH HAVING A BURNERTUBE HAVING A BURNER ASSEMBLY EXTENDING FROM THE END THEREOF AND HAVINGCOMMUNICATION WITH A SOURCE OF SUPPLY OF GAS, MEANS FOR IGNITING THE GASISSUING FROM SAID BURNER ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN IGNITER TUBE MOVABLYMOUNTED ON SAID BURNER TUBE FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND FROM THE OPEN END OFSAID BURNER ASSEMBLY AND NORMALLY BIASED INTO A POSITION REMOTE FROMSAID BURNER ASSEMBLY, SAID IGNITER TUBE HAVING A HOODED END PORTIONEXTENDING TO ONE SIDE THEREOF OVER THE END OF SAID NOZZLE ASSEMBLY ANDSPACED THEREFROM AND HAVING COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAIDIGNITER TUBE, AND FLAME INITIATING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID IGNITER TUBECLOSELY ADJACENT SAID HOOD AND INCLUDING A SPARK WHEEL ROTATABLY MOUNTEDON SAID IGNITER TUBE, AND A FLINT EXTENDING ALONG SAID TUBE AND BIASEDINTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SPARK WHEEL TO CREATE A SPARK IN THE REGION OFSAID HOOD.